Carper Grumbles, Bumbles, & Stumbles in Debate – Harris Shines
Look for two big story lines in tomorrow’s papers.
1) Carper (71 years old) appeared tired and confused throughout the debate. He needed to be prompted by the moderator to address questions after prolonged instances of dead air. He rambled nonsensically at times, and he got the saying “fool me once” flat wrong. When he attempted to animate his remarks by raising his voice and speaking quickly it came off as peevish.
2) Kerri Harris was poised and confident throughout. Her criticism of Carper were respectful, but piercing. She was authentic and stated the case for her election in terms that connected time and again with the audience.
Simply put. It was a great night for the Harris campaign.
Even Carper knew he sucked. In the press scum after the event Carper basically shrugged and said that he stands on his record (which he thinks is good).
I thought she did great and clearly won the debate in the way that it mattered.
She had the energy and the passion, and I can see only increased momentum leading up to the primary.
There’s a question that’s been kicking around in my head for some time–who, other than his relatively small claque, will really be motivated to come out to send this guy back to DC? The endorsements he cited? They were endorsements of necessity back when it looked like he would coast. Teachers and union voters won’t be rushing out to reelect Mr. $9 Minimum Wage.
Kerri’s campaign has taken forever to get moving, but it’s really picked up speed.
I’m already predicting the upset.
The Senator has been coasting for quite some time. He also got older when he wasn’t looking. He thinks he still has all his old “pep”. Carrie Harris will simply state facts, the disastrous conequences of his votes on working people. These mere statements of fact will have more impact than any “attack”. He will be quiet because he has little left in his bag of tricks. He is and has been on the wrong side of history for a long time. His fall will seem precipitous and unexpected, but the truth is it is all but inevitable.
“There’s a question that’s been kicking around in my head for some time–who, other than his relatively small claque, will really be motivated to come out to send this guy back to DC?”
The only people in the crowd clapping hard when Carper managed to eek out a decent point were clearly staffers. The other applause he got was polite agreement on items that ALL dems agree on. E.g. Trump sucks, etc.
Something to remember. Carper and Freel are obsessed with polls–always have been.
Something in those polls led Carper to accept the debate. Most likely a whole lot of undecideds.
Let’s assume that the race is close. It is now a GOTV contest. Which is where Ocasio-Lopez comes in. I think the Harris campaign is much better positioned to get their supporters to the polls than Carper is, and will be even better positioned once the week is out.
I’ve been involved in a lot of races. There’s nothing more exciting than feeling the momentum build, and nothing more depressing than feeling the air coming out of the balloon. Once a campaign begins to limp, it rarely regains its footing. And I think the Carper campaign has a bad wheel. All the lit pieces that money can buy can’t get the Big Mo back. Just ask Tony DeLuca.
Dope video here:
https://theintercept.com/2018/08/27/kerri-harris-tom-carper-delaware-campaign-video/
Also, I bought a whiskey for & smoked reefer with a famous political journo!
They’re just like us!
Only question left is this…
Is it enough?
The debate was one way traffic. A joke. But are the petite bourgeoisie convinced, or are they too numb to SUVs and Netflix and Caribbean cruises and Amazon Prime.
No clue. But I know we’re right. Let’s see…
Jason… Good seeing you out & about. Funny thing happened after you left.
They don’t have to be convinced. I think the people most likely to come out are those who are motivated. Go back to the Women’s March, look at what’s happened so far this election season. The people motivated to come out will be motivated to vote for change.
I think this could be the best primary night ever.
Good reports all over the electoral map. Carper must be sent home to spend time with his “4” pensions he accumulated screwing us for “42” years in office. Send the fossil home.
Washington Post
The News Journal
WDEL
The washington Post report on the debate leaves out Carper’s support of the Keystone Pipeline, money from out of state corporate political action committees which is very important and shows you the state of mind of Carper the corporate. Here is another great report = https://delawarestatenews.net/news/carper-shifts-left-under-progressive-challengers-attack-harris-labels-senator-as-out-of-touch/
Please pass it on so that others can make a more informed dicision. Thank you very much.
Thanks for that link.
“For more years than I can count I’ve supported changing the way we finance our campaigns,” he said.
He doesn’t get how stupid that sounds. He is really fucking full of himself when it comes to his record. It is a head scratcher.
Carper’s expressed support for a $15 minimum wage is a lie. How can someone who refused to even allow Harry Reid to move a $10.10 minimum wage bill out of committee b/c he didn’t want anything over $9 now claim to support a $15 minimum wage?
He is a lying liar. And that was the biggest lie he told last night.
More from WHYY/NPR
https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-u-s-senate-debate-pits-experience-vs-shaking-up-congress/
Re: Carper’s lies.
He also apparently said he supported reimporting drugs from Canada. He voted with Big Pharma on that a year or two ago.
https://www.delawareonline.com/videos/news/2017/01/13/carper-takes-heat-over-prescription-vote/96565990/
Less ago than a year.
He said he WOULD support it if they were “proven” safe. Same big Pharma canned response he’s used for a decade.
I realize it was tough to understand his equivocation through the mumbling.
Jason… is that what you heard?
(Al, we missed you at the Jackson Inn….)
Carper’s problem is like any athlete who never goes to the gym. The decline in ability/agility is unobserved. You think you have what you need to perform but it simply NEVER materializes when you need it. It is sad on one level, but necessary to clear out the dead wood. Everyone around him tried to make his job predictable and easier. That turned out to be a losing strategy now. If Dems are stupid enough to elect him on the 6th, they will have elected an empty husk of a human being. I’m going with the living and Kerri Harris.
I think you are right. Dems and Republicans alike didn’t do Carper any favors with all the free passes over the years.
Well, he DID get all those years padding his pension(s) on the public dime w/o much in the way of opposition. That’s something.